Story
About GotranamaSeva on the sacred month of Dhanurmasa
Dhanurmasam is a festival of thirty days, which is celebrated in detail in the southern part of India. This month starts from the middle path and ends in the middle of Paush. Thus, this year 2022 it will start on December 17th and end on January 14th. The month of Dhanurmasam is considered a very special month for performing Puja of Vishnu. Dhanurmas Phal Shruti: Worshiping Vishnu on a single day during this auspicious period is equal to worshiping Vishnu with devotion for 1000 years. According to Hindu religion, God's day is equal to 6 human months (Uttarayana) and the God's night is equal to the other 6 months (Dakshinayana) in a human year. Dhanurmasam falls at the end of Dakshinayana, or the God's night time. In fact, this month is considered to be the auspicious early hours of dawn for the Devas. It is called Brahmamuhurtam for the Gods and so it is recommended that we perform our prayers and worship during the early hours of the morning, around two hours before the sunrise.
Story of Goda Devi
Vishnu Chitta was born in the family of Vishnu Vahana - Garutmantha. He was one of the 12 alwars. He was the main alwar in Shree Villiputtoor, in the sanctum of Lord Vishnu as Vatapatra Sai. He found a baby, the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi, in the garden of Tulasi. He named her “Kodai” - which means a garland. Kodai used to prepare the garlands that her father carried to the temple to decorate the Lord. Once she prepared the garland, she would adorn them herself to see if they look beautiful, then used to give them to her father for offering. Unawares of this Vishnu chitta used to offer them to the Lord. One day when he found some hair in the garland, he realizes the reason and worries about the innocent folly committed. But that night the Lord appears in his dream and tells him he prefers to be offered with those garlands worn by Kodai.
Dhanurmasa Pooja & Its History
The history of Dhanurmasa Vratam which is also known as pavai nonbu/ Margazhi Nonbu is more than 2000 years old and is mentioned in the early scriptures. During dwapara yug, Narada Maharishi tells the Gopikas to perform the “Katyayani Vratam”, to get the blessings of Lord Krishna, hence have been first followed by the Gopikas of Vrindavan and they were blessed with his presence and all the troubles of the people of Vrindavan have been removed.
Women and girls observing pavai nonbu woke before sunrise, bathed in the Kalindi river and made an image of Goddess Katyayani with the clay found on the river bank and offered prayers to the Goddess to get good husbands. It is also believed that Andal, one of the twelve Alwars, on the advice of her father, Perialwar, performed pavai nonbu to merge with Sri Ranganatha [Lord Vishnu]. The story of this was sung by Godadevi in the form of Tiruppavai pasuras (meaning Auspicious Songs).She regarded the presiding deity of the temple Sri Vatapatra Sai (Alilla Kanan) as the Lord Krishna, villiputtoor as Vrindavan, the temple as Nanda Gopa's home, her friends as Gopikas and she herself as one Gopika. As a result she found her Sri Ranganatha swamy Lord Vishnu.
During the vratam, she sang on pasuram on one day - for 30 days. First they prayed to the doorkeepers of NandaGopa. Then they invoke Devi Yashoda, nanda raj, bala Rama, Srikrishna with his wife Neela. They offered Him the auspicious throne. They prayed that they be granted all the required items to complete the pooja. Goda wished in her mind that as a result of the vratam she should be able to eat the ghee filled payasam along with the Lord.
Thus Kodai became “Amukta Malyada” - mukta - worn and removed, mala - garland da - one who gives. In later days, Sri Ramanujaachri made this vratam popular and gained the name - Godaagrajulu.
Women who wish to get married to the man they love perform this vratam during the Dhanurmasam month.
